Brand New Lee Enfield No4 Mk2 Rifles For Sale On Armslist

I think that each and every one of us longs for the days of $20 Enfields in a barrel at the hardware store, but sadly the golden age of milsurp rifles has come and gone. With the exception of the odd lot of Mosins or Mausers being offered for sale at a reasonably good price I doubt we will see anything like shooters did 25 – 30 years ago.

Even locating some of these old war horses in new condition is near impossible without resorting to an arsenal refurbished or rebuilt rifle. It seems that Enfields in particular turn up in reasonably rough shape, few of them that I have run across could be considered nice examples. Finds like this one where the rifles are still in the wrap and haven’t been fired with the exception of proofing loads grab my attention.

The seller has somehow squirreled away 4 brand new No4 Mk2 rifles and resisted the urge to unwrap any of them. I don’t know why they would be selling them off, but it seems like a reasonably good deal at $550 per rifle. Had the seller been willing to ship one of them off, I would have already been in contact, but sadly he has indicated that face to face transactions are the only way he will part with the unissued rifles.

Patrick is a Senior Writer for The Firearm Blog and works in the shooting sports industry. He is an avid recreational shooter and a verified gun nerd. With a lifelong passion for shooting, he has a love for all types of firearms, especially handguns and the AR-15 platform. Patrick may be contacted at tfbpatrick@gmail.com.

The above post is my opinion and does not reflect the views of any company or organization.

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codfilet

Back in the ’50s, my Dad used to get surplus WW2 rifles that he would mailorder from an ad in “Guns” magazine. I can still remember seeing the long, greasy boxes when they came, and seeing him out in the garage scraping all the cosmoline off those rifles-a long and tedious job.

Random Disable Person

codfilet
I assume you know you can download “Guns” Magazine early issues from January 1955 through the issue for November 1966 which was recently added. They are adding one old issue per month in chronological order. Link to all the years http:// gunsmagazine. com /classic-guns-magazine-editions/ Remove the spaces. hoping to get through the filter for urls. Will post below with link without spaces. From there, you start on the month and year you want. You can read it in your browser or save them as pdf files. I think that last issue is the 139th if the count is right.

The ads are amazing and saddening for what was the golden years of surplus. Most businesses were located in some of the most anti-gun territory in the USA.
One advertisement had a grab bag of 3 pistols for around $15(iirc) from Scotland Yard’s bulk dumping of old crime guns. That is one of “..the I wish I could go back in time to order…. “. The ad also joked they were probably purchased with a trade in of a bow and arrows they were so old… Elsewhere Mosin-Nagants for $20 which had no money going into any “red”(communist) sources.
Another fun part is seeing calibers that were wildcat that we know as common today.

I saw one in the wrapper Enfield No4 Mk2 at gun show a fews years back, being 2 states(3.5 hrs-ish) away it may be the same person. Iknow whoevergets thstaking gambleonwhatliesbenethbut the unwrapped part should preserved since so few are left.

As common as Enfields were and there were many types(ever hear of .410guage version?), someone was smart enough to realize the value in saving them as original. Not many people today would do that. Just look at the attitudes about how the Mosins were so cheap, that chopping them up was no loss because there was a never ending supply… You see the same thought fallacy in all the people buring the polymer on the handguns because they are so common and I can get 100+ replaces without challenge until… You would think as the generations age out and have to move in to nursing homes we would have a steady trickle of the surplus on the market

codfilet

Thanks for the link-I still have a lot of the old original magazines-My dad kept them in a stack in the garage, and there they sat up until a few years ago. Most of those guns seem like a great deal now, but back then, guys like my dad were working men, with a stay-at-home wife and a couple of kids, so there wasn’t much money available for old guns. He mainly got the cheapest ones, like old rolling blocks and pre-ww1 mausers and such. Enfields were cheap, too-I still have his 1918 BSA. Oh-I had one of the .410 Enfields-it was converted to a single shot, for guard duty, I guess.

Random Disable Person

Nothing beats reading paper, something about the feel and the interaction or lack of other distractions. Glad to hear you found such a treasure and that your kinfolk were smart enough and generous enough to save them . Any Issues of Shotgun News in there ? I think I saw an add for them somewhere in the early to mid 1960’s issues. The sheer amount of change in firearm perception and reaction is like we’re in a different world. Can you picture a Lowes or Home Depot having firearms and/or ammo ?

Some of my proudest owned firearms are the old hardware store branded single barrel shotgun. Several the hardware is gone and so is the building. The old used $100-$150 simple farm gun. Often over looked and discard because of shiny new stupidity.

One side of family passed nothing down that they could sell off. Ironically from that side I got an old junk tools box from a great grand parent I never met, I received his old tool box with great tools (needed lots of grime and light rust removed)and it had a 1930-1940’s box of Remington “standard velocity” “Kleanbore” Dupont .22 long rifle with a sticker from the store for 67 ¢ item number 6122 . Right in largest drought of the ammo. Not a full box but it also makes me sad to think what happened to their firearm.

The .410 Enfields were used for guard duty and were made single shot, so if a prisoner wrestled one away from the guards (or dishonest staff assisted) the criminal would only have one shot and that was if the guard didn’t fire it, emptying it in the struggle. Making it just a club type weapon . A very interesting adaption and logic. I learned about that model from seeing 1 unique unopened case of .410 Enfield surplus ammo for sale. Amazing how much history & variations there are with most models of firearms. Along with what quirk can send us off down into a rabbit hole of knowledge and collectibles.

The Brigadier

I purchased a very high quality Mosin-Nagant (1943) in ’07 for only fifty bucks from Big 5 Sporting Goods. In current dollars that’s pretty close to the $20 they were offered at thirty years ago. Mine had no cosmoline on it and the action was a bit stiff until I fired 30 rounds and then it became smooth as glass. I took off the acres of lumber and put a Monte Carlo stock on with a cheek riser. It is amazingly accurate and the big cartridge is definitely a stopper. All in all, with a decent scope it will be good long range rifle.

Mike Bear

I think these may be some of the ‘Irish contract’ Lee Enfields that were not delivered to the Irish for some reason.

Tyler McCommon

The Irish ended up adopting the FAL before the Enfield’s were delivered.

Mike Bear

They first adopted the FN FAL in 1961 (as a result of the Niemba Ambush in Congo Africa), seven years after these Lee Enfields were ordered. I suspect they were not delivered for economic or maybe political resons.

Surly Old Irishman

The rifles — 50,000 of them — WERE delivered. The “not delivered” rumor was started by someone who knew nothing about the Irish military nor Irish history. In particular how Ireland found itself practically unarmed in 1940 with the Germans invading everyone in Europe and the British making noises about re-invading Ireland if the Irish refused to give up their neutrality and allow the British to occupy ports and build airbases throughout Ireland.

Most of the rifles were never issued. The Irish armed forces — from the 1950s to the present — active and reserve — have amounted to less than 15,000 at any one time. Ireland bought far more rifles than needed because they remembered having to beg for weapons from the US and the UK in the 1940s, and because the UK was selling No4s very cheaply in order to keep the production line at ROF Fazakerley running.

Minuteman

Factory fresh, never issued, never fired No4 MKII’s in original wrap? Me want….

codfilet

But would you unwrap the rifle, or leave it in the wrap?

Goody

Shoot 1, keep 3.

Minuteman

Unwrap and shoot it of course! What about you?

codfilet

I don’t know-its uniqueness and collectibility is gone the second you unwrap it, and good shooting-grade Enfields are common and cheap at local gunshows. I’m pretty sure if I got one of these i’d never unwrap it.

Minuteman

What’s the point of owning dead weight and safe queens? Guns are tools and I’m a shooter, not a collector. YMMV

Random Disable Person

Protecting them for history ? So future generations can have some of the nice things we did? Have you looked at the retro market for the M-16/AR family? Think of it like how opening up mummies was trend, how many pricless artifacts and information was lost. If it had been trained archeologists and not drunk friends having an Egyptomania unwrapping party.

The prices are climbing for what once used to be plentiful and cheap is now costing absurd amounts. Given it has been almost 50 years, but an “__- A1” used surplus stock and hand guards costs more than new and better versions. Enough of a market to get Colt and several other companies to reintroduce earlier models back into production. NIB and/or NIW is rare and will become rarer as more time passes. Preservation is a duty we should hold as a privilege, not something to be spoiled because people can’t live without instant gratification.

We can hope things change but I doubt we ever see the sell off such surplus again. Unless some countries in Africa have stashes we don’t know about. Not to mention most countries aren’t selling their surplus weapons but destroying them. So you basically salvage parts.

Remember Enfields or Mosins by the crate? We can only hope in 20-30 years a few of those crates are still around. Then again if China, N.Korea, etc become our friends instead of the villains, we might see a limited run again. So would some surplus in .303 and 54r…I think I’m going to hold to the cases of 54r and not open the crate or the spam can. So one down the line will have a nice rare ammo to add to their display.

Minuteman

I understand your concerns and sincerely respect your desire to preserve history, but I’m afraid you’re being a bit of an idealist. Let me tell you something: I’m a guy of Swedish and Icelandic heritage who’s been in to edged weapons since childhood, particularly swords and axes. Can you tell me how many of those my Viking ancestors preserved for me? Exactly, zero….. What I’m trying to say is this. In the long run we’re all dead. Humans and animals alike. Around 90% of all species to have ever wandered about on this planet are now extinct. That’s a mere succes rate of about 10%. Things come and go man, nothing lasts forever -including fire arms, cars, furniture, you name it. Everything disappears over time. If I concern myself with sustaining each and every item around me I won’t have a normal life anymore. Just enjoy what you can whenever you have the opportunity. Because before you know it you’ll be long since dead and buried. So just enjoy while you can, cheers!

logical conclusions

I don’t think he said anything about sustaining every item in his life. I could be wrong though….

Minuteman

Shall we just agree to disagree?

The Brigadier

They are absurdly expensive because fear of the Hildebeest taking them away from us was a real possibility. Prices have already started falling after the election and they should become more realistic in a few more years.

Martin M

I just looked and they have 4. I wonder how long until they are gone.

Swarf

The listing is deactivated, so… probably now.

I certainly would have snatched one up if I’d had the opportunity.

Martin M

Wow, that took about 10 minutes!

MrBrassporkchop

Aaaannnddd…now they’ve been bubba’d.

Nashvone

Nah, That’s a suburb of Atlanta which hasn’t been southern in decades.

Gary Kirk

Can smell the cosmoline through the photos..

Gus Butts

I can imagine why he wants to sell these face to face. “I didn’t even remove the wrap off the rifles… Ha ha! They are in fact Mosins! Thanks for buying online!”

Major Tom

Meh, I’d still take em. Four Mosins means I can kill Twenty German Nazi pigdogs without reloading! All for price of one weakling Mauser!

Swarf

If you will pay $2200 for four Mosins, I will re-cosmoline mine as soon as your check clears.

pdxbnohica

There were a handful on an auction site (actual auction house) that I check out every now and then. They ended up selling for OVER $1000. None of them were Irish Contract.

I, however, was able to get one of the ‘Irish Contract’ Enfields and it practically looks brand new, maybe some scuff marks on the stock but the bore is pristine.

Awesome deal if there’s no hijinx involved…

Oldtrader3

My first #4 Enfield cost me $25! This was in 1957.

UCSPanther

$25 was a lot of money back in those days too…

gunsandrockets

My Finnish M39 cost me $40. This was around 1990.

mike

I have two of these. Bought for $189 when they came over about 20 years ago. One I use. The other is still wrapped up. I was told they were foind in a Dublin warehouse.

Joseph Goins

I think I might have to break the piggy bank for these. My kid’s not going to college now.

dave

hell its getting harder to find good quality milsurp enfield stuff even down here in Australia the government basically handed them out to farmers in the 50’s and kept very few.

DIR911911 .

and their GONE!!

Bradley

I understand the appeal of them being unwrapped, but there’s no way I would buy one without seeing it first. Being unfired doesn’t mean it is in new condition. Maybe someone who knows more about the packaging techniques would know batter, but I can’t help imagine paying $500 for a rusty “new” gun. I’m guessing they are coated in cosmoline? The Soviet guns I’ve dealt with varied as to how well they were preserved. I’m curious if anyone is familiar with this point.

American Patriot Freedom

Well congrats on posting the article. Because of all the contact heat and publicity he got by posting that article here, and not asking the man first, he pulled his add offline now, and deactivated it. Bravo. Sometimes these days some people don’t think anymore before they act, and I been at this gun business thing a longggggg time.

L. Roger Rich

if I got one I would leave it in the wrapper…

Humpy

Bought my near pristine #4 MK I 1943 dated in 1996 on sale at BIG5 for $89, in the same sale I bought a Russian capture K 98 German Mauser with all the Nazi markings intact dated 1939 in very good condition for $120. I also bought in very good condition a Swedish Mauser for $110 that same year.
Back then I didn’t have much disposable income, and now that I do the prices have skyrocketed, and supplies are short.

Dave B NZ

If he would have agreed to ship one to NZ, I’d have bought one in a heartbeat. I have one of the 1954 production No4 Mk 2 rifles, and I love it. I got it unfired and it is a great piece of history. Naturally, it didn’t stay unfired…

The Brigadier

Yeah, paintings, furniture and real silver ware is all that is usually kept anymore.